Publishers Weekly
11/29/2021
Operation Halyard, a real-life secret mission to rescue Allied airmen stranded in war-torn Yugoslavia in 1944, forms the backdrop for this engrossing military thriller from Young (Silver Wings, Iron Cross). After Bill Bogdonavich is shot down over German-occupied Yugoslavia, he’s rescued by Serbian civilians. Bogdonavich, whose father emigrated to America from Yugoslavia, is soon acting as an interpreter between Chetnik guerrillas and the hundreds of pilots and air crew being hidden from the German forces. Meanwhile in Texas, Lt. Drew Carlton, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot whose conduct in aerial combat left him labeled a coward, welcomes the chance to redeem himself by taking part in Operation Halyard. The suspense builds as Bogdonavich leads an effort to construct an airfield and Carlton, now stationed in Italy, prepares to fly a cargo plane to pick up downed airmen. Along the way to the satisfying ending, Young touches on such matters as the civil war pitting Chetniks against Tito’s partisans and the loyalties of Italians only recently turned to the Allied side. Readers will be moved to seek out nonfiction accounts about this bold, little-known operation. Agent: Michael V. Carlisle, InkWell Management. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Red Burning Sky
“The narrative gallops along in…lean, direct language, giving the muscular feel of adventure novels and thrillers in a fast, easy read. Fans of warbird aircraft, WWII history, manly adventure, and novels about war and strife in general will all enjoy this novel. Its human focus adds a literary feel. It may resonate more keenly today as a new war erupts in the same general region.”
–New York Journal of Books
“Operation Halyard, a real-life secret mission to rescue Allied airmen stranded in war-torn Yugoslavia in 1944, forms the backdrop for this engrossing military thriller from Young…. Along the way to the satisfying ending, Young touches on such matters as the civil war pitting Chetniks against Tito’s partisans and the loyalties of Italians only recently turned to the Allied side. Readers will be moved to seek out nonfiction accounts about this bold, little-known operation.”
–Publishers Weekly
"Gripping....A fictionalized retelling of the real-life Operation Halyard, the largest rescue of stranded airmen in U.S. history....The narrative tension escalates as the men struggle to secretly build by hand a landing field capable of handling multiple aircraft arriving in the dead of night....Young is a pilot and a decorated air combat veteran who flew in Afghanistan and Iraq. His easy familiarity with aircraft and flying make the text of Red Burning Sky realistic and credible. His writing style is casual and self-effacing so that the reader’s full attention is focused on the plight of the men and their struggle to escape.....The suspense stayed with me to the finish.”
–Washington Review of Books
"Red Burning Sky, Tom Young's exciting and moving World War II tale, explores a daring and unlikely rescue of American flyers by American flyers in then-Yugoslavia. The book delivers suspense and thrills along with the heartbreak of mortal combat against a vicious foe, while remembering how civilians suffer alongside the warriors. Don't miss this one!"
—David O. Stewart, national bestselling author of The New Land
Praise for Tom Young and Silver Wings, Iron Cross
“Courage and honor in the face of the enemy have not been so brilliantly portrayed since the great novels of the Second World War.”
—Jack Higgins
“A gutsy, gritty thriller told only as one who’s been there and done that could write It ...[a] terrific new writer.”
—W.E.B. Griffin
“Young has a gift for allowing the reader to experience the emotional aspect of being a soldier...Military-thriller fans should make Young’s work an essential addition to their reading lists.”
—Booklist, STARRED Review
“One of the most exciting new thriller talents in years!”
—Vince Flynn
“Exciting…genre fans will find a lot to like”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fresh and exciting”
—Historical Novel Society
“From start to finish we understand both men’s motivations and frames of reference. We can understand how they transition from enemies to friends. Our own perspectives are broadened because of them...If you read only one story about World War II, this is a great one to choose.”
—The New York Journal of Books
“Full of heart and action”
—The Butner Creedmore News
“Gripping and impressively authentic.”
—Frederick Forsyth
“Like Tom Clancy, Young has an eye for detail about military equipment, operations, and thinking that will ring true with any veteran.”
—General Chuck Horner, USAF (RET.), former Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces
“A page-turner that might’ve been torn from today’s headlines...engrossing, enlightening, and extremely entertaining.”
—Doug Stanton
